1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to communication conference system and communication conference apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
Types of actual conferences are classified in the following major classes:
(1) Presentation Type (see 4-2 in FIG. 4)
One presentor is present and all others are audience. For example, a lesson in a school belongs to this class.
In the presentation type conference, the presenter may speak to the audience but the audience is not allowed to speak to the presenter. However, in questions and answers, the audience may speak to the presentor.
(2) Discussion Type (see 4-1 in FIG. 4)
There is no distinction between the presenter and the audience and all members participating the conference are allowed to speak. Brainstorming and discussion belong to this class. In the discussion type conference, all participants of the conference are allowed to speak and speeches by all other participants may be listened to.
(3) Combination Type (see 4-3 in FIG. 4)
A combination of the types 4-1 and 4-2 in FIG. 4. Several participants make discussion and other participants are the audience. A panel discussion belongs to this class.
As described above, there are various types of actual conferences.
However, in the prior art electronic conference system, means for realizing such variety of electronic conferences is not established and means for changing the connection of the line by the participants is not provided. As a result, the conferences other than the discussion type conference (2) in which all participants are interconnected cannot be realized.
In an actual conference of the type (2), a secret communication (by which conversation is made only between neighbors) is frequently conducted.
However, in order to achieve the secret communication, it is necessary to provide a separate communication line in addition to a main conference communication line to start a new conference. However, this method requires to set a new conference. In addition, tools used in the main conference may not be used for the secret communication. When a microphone is used in the main conference, a voice tool may not be used in the secret communication.
As described above, since the prior art system supports only a simple form of line connection, it cannot fully attain the inherent object of the electronic conference system of "to replace an actual form of conference".
The actual conferences may be classified into a formal conference such as a regularly held conference and an informal conference such as discussion by free participants.
In the formal conference, a chairman has been predetermined and the participants are normally predetermined persons, and means such as an electronic black board and an OHP are essential to smoothly conduct the conference.
On the other hand, in the informal conference, the participants are not fixed and a chairman is normally not elected and the electronic black board or OHP is not always required.
However, in the prior art electronic conference system, whatever type of electronic conference may be initiated, only one fixed user interface is provided to set an environment to start the conference.
As a result, even when the formal conference (which uses the same tools such as shared window tools, shared documents tools, voice tools and video tools by the same participants at every conference) is started, the same items must be set every time as the environment setting for the electronic conference and hence a big workload is required to start the conference. When the informal conference is to be started, the election of the chairman and the setting of the conference described above are in many cases not necessary, but such unnecessary items must be set. Thus, a big workload is required to start the conference.
It is considered that the electronic conference will become more and more versatile and the numbed of items to be set when the electronic conference is to be started will increase in the future. In such a case, if it is required to designate all necessary items to start the conference each time the electronic conference is to be started, a very troublesome work is required, which cannot be ignored.
In a common conference, a start time of the conference has been previously provided to the participants of the conference, and even if a participant is late to the conference, he may grasp how much time has elapsed since the start of the conference.
When a participant cannot attend the conference or will be late, it is common to provide notice to the chairman or participant of the conference a reason for absence or when he will come.
However, in the prior art electronic conference system, an invitee cannot immediately determine the elapsed time from the occurrence of the request to participate in the conference.
The participant (invitee) of the conference can convey only the information of participation or non-participation to the inviter (person who attempts to start the electronic conference) and the information which can be conveyed is extremely small.
Accordingly, when the invitee cannot participate in the conference, he cannot convey the reason for the non-participation or request a call in the course of conference because he is now busy on another work but may participate in the conference a few minutes later.